Existing automobile closed circuit racetracks have been individually designed and constructed, such that no two tracks are totally alike. One thing virtually all such tracks have had in common is perimetral rigid crash barriers designed to protect spectators and other persons near a track but not those participating in the actual operation of vehicles on the track, be it for practice, racing or time trials. While these crash barriers function quite well to protect persons other than the drivers of the race vehicles, race vehicle impact with such a barrier all too often proves fatal. Indeed, a study of records of forty years of automobile races revealed that in excess of ninety percent of the fatal accidents originated with a vehicle impacting a crash barrier.
Other unsafe conditions which exist at race tracks include spectators are permitted around pit areas at many tracks, which of itself creates danger. The spectators may be injured by being struck by a moving vehicle or movement of various parts and equipments around the pit area. In addition, pedestrians have been known to crowd around the pits, making it difficult and dangerous for pit crews to perform their duties and responsibilities.
Existing tracks are also unsafe when wet. Present track surfaces and tires result in very dangerous conditions if the track gets wet, since, among other problems, there is virtually no resistance to lateral sliding movement of a race vehicle on a wet track. In addition, no provision is made for detecting, other than by an operator's observance, unsafe conditions such as failing tires, as a failure develops.
Existing tracks provide only minimal services and equipment for the race teams themselves. As a consequence many race teams have equipment vans which carry maintenance and repair equipment for servicing race vehicles at racing facilities. In addition, the racing team often must provide fuel cans for transporting fuel to pit service areas, where the fuel is poured into gravity feed fueling arrangements. The crews also carry bottles of compressed air, since compressed air seldom is available in the pits and otherwise racing teams must provide virtually everything needed to service and maintain the racing vehicles.
Existing conditions and rules permit very well financed teams to dominate racing. The provision of mobile repair vans is but one small example. Often a special high powered short lived engine is used to qualify a vehicle and a long lived race engine is then substituted for a race. Very sophisticated electronic devices are used to fine tune the vehicles to adjust and trim various vehicle components. In addition, very well financed teams have been known to utilize different engine types for different races operated under different sets of rules, such as special engines for the Indianapolis 500 and then different engines for other races run by the same Indianapolis type cars during a racing season.
Thus, there is a need for a greater uniformity in the tracks themselves and their operation as well as track supplied equipment in order to give skills of the drivers and their crews renewed importance. In addition, there is a need for far greater safety and for consistency and uniformity in race tracks and the governing rules more effectively to compare the results from different racing locations. Satisfaction of these needs would enable highly skilled teams without superior financing capabilities effectively to compete.